Undoubtedly it was a name thing -- his surname is pronounced ma-GOO-gan. And who cares if it has a babyish appeal to it? Wasn't Dominic Davenport "Baby D," and isn't Daquan Romero "Da-Da?"

Mcgougan might not be in their all-state caliber, but he's evolved from a solid lineman who did his job into a wrecking machine with a constantly churning motor. The Phantoms' defense was tough enough before. Now, it's almost unfair.

"He plays low, he comes off the ball extremely quick and he uses his hands well," Phoebus coach Stan Sexton said. "He's very active and very tough to block.

"So what we can do with Tevin is, we can stand him up like they used to do with Baby D and move him around to different spots. Us being able to do that has really moved our defense to another level."

As if the level Phoebus already had reached wasn't high enough. But it's true. As good as the Phantoms' defense was last year in allowing 6.1 points and 150 total yards a game, it's been even better this year (5.2, 142).

So what made Mcgougan, a 6-foot-3 and 230-pound senior, such a force this year? It was a simple alteration of his technique.

"At the beginning of the year, I worked on staying lower," he said. "Coach (Greg) Day (the defensive line coach), he told me the low man always wins. And I've been winning. I had to work real hard to get where I am now."

He plays what Phoebus calls its "stud" tackle position, which is the same spot Davenport was a starter from 2006-08. Usually you'll see 280-pound run-pluggers who aren't as agile at that position. But the Phantoms prefer a more athletic and active defender.

"We rarely don't have an athletic guy out there," defensive coordinator Greg Narvid said. "Size for us has never been a priority on defense. It's nice, but we'd rather have a strong guy who can run. And when you have a guy who has that kind of versatility, it lets us do a lot of things."

Mcgougan loves the freedom.

"It's extremely fun," he said of the stud position. "You're in the middle of the defense. Everything has to go by you. You get to rush the passer, you get to destroy the run. You get to do pretty much whatever you want to do."

And it's that mentality that helps make him so effective there.

"His motor is always running, and he plays hard every down," Sexton said. "When the game is over, he's absolutely exhausted."

It's difficult to pick an exact moment, but Mcgougan began stepping up his play around the first Hampton game on Oct. 22. In the rematch five weeks later, he sacked Crabber quarterback David Watford for a safety to seal Phoebus' 12-7 win.

"I'm not saying he wasn't playing well before, but now he's really standing out on tape," Sexton said. "You watch tape and you say, 'We've really got to get (number) 58 secured.'"

College recruiters also are noticing. Hampton University, Norfolk State, Robert Morris and Christopher Newport are among those interested in Mcgougan as either a linebacker or defensive end.

Saturday's game means a lot to Mcgougan, and not just because it's the Group AAA Division 5 championship.

Last year, he didn't play in the state semifinals and final (a 15-10 win over Stone Bridge) for disciplinary reasons.

"It was heartbreaking," Mcgougan said. "I made a mistake. But now, that's my biggest motivation. I couldn't help my team last year, but this year I can."